It is, of course, generally known that some devices produce audio waves for a user to hear, interpret, and understand. Audio waves may be a tone, a person's voice, or music. In order to send audio waves from one place to another they may be coded into electrical signals that can travel through wires.
Commonly, microphones are used to convert sound pressure from audio waves into voltages. Every sound is coded to a specific voltage magnitude and frequency. These electrical signals may be passed through electrically conductive wires made of copper, aluminum, or other conductive material known to one having ordinary skill in the art.
It is generally known to one skilled in the art that electrical signals may be alternating current (AC) signals or direct current (DC) signals. Generally, sound signals are AC signals having both a magnitude and a frequency. Loud sounds produce high voltage magnitudes and soft sounds produce low voltage magnitudes. Similarly, high-pitched sounds produce voltages with high frequencies and low-pitched sounds produce voltages with low frequencies. Therefore, no information is lost when converting an audible sound to a voltage signal.
Generally, transducers are used to convert electrical signals into audio waves. Speakers are a common form of a transducer. Based on the voltage magnitude and frequency, different sounds are produced. These sounds can then be processed by the human auditory system.
Frequently, speakers can produce volumes that are too excessive. Excessive volumes can cause repercussions directly by damaging ones auditory system. Excessive volumes can also cause repercussions indirectly by masking other sounds. This is generally known as noise pollution. Headphones and headsets were created to allow an individual control over his or her volume without disrupting the environment around them.
Regularly, individuals use headphones to listen to audio devices or use headsets to make telephone calls. Headphones and headsets involve, generally, one or more speakers being inserted into or placed onto one's ears. This allows for private enjoyment of music or conversations.
Often, when individuals use headphones or headsets, they plug or block their ears from hearing anything besides the audio from within the headphones or headsets. More often, people combine the use of speakers, headphones, and headsets with their daily routines. In doing so, one of an individual's five senses of perception is significantly hindered if not removed completely.
It is generally known that an individual has five senses for perception: hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch. Each of these senses work together in order to allow an individual to perceive the events around them. By limiting or removing one sense, an individual's quality of perception becomes substantially lower.
Commonly, many warning signs are loud audible signals. Sirens, horns, bells, and whistles are all sounds that may be used to warn a person of a hazard. Other hazards are themselves warnings such as gunfire, explosions, and thunder. These warnings rely on an individual's hearing to get their message known.
Often, certain locations are noisier than others. More often noise changes by the hour. During the night, fewer things make noise and it is easier to distinguish sounds. During the day, people go about their lives, working, and making noise. This makes it harder to distinguish sounds. Also, a certain sound level that would be interpreted as a threat at night may be washed out by the noises and threats of the day.
Frequently, hazards produce little to no sound and rely on other senses for awareness. Fast moving objects such as vehicles are one of these hazards. For hazards without audible warnings, an individual must use another sense of perception: sight. The sight sense, however, is limited by an individual's range of vision. Without other warnings, an individual is unaware of objects or hazards outside one's range of vision.
Normally, an object that changes a distance in a short amount of time has a high velocity. Commonly, high velocity objects are associated with hazards or threats. An individual can detect changes in an object's velocity visually. Upon observation of this data, an individual can compare the object's velocity to what is considered a hazard or threat. If an object is seen as a hazard or threat, the individual may then take actions to avoid it.
Typically, infrared, ultrasonic, or another type of range sensor known to one skilled in the art may be used to make similar measurements. These sensors will produce data that can be interpreted much like an individual's sense of vision. In order to process the data, a microprocessor or another computing device known to one in the art is required.
Usually, a microprocessor or another computing device known to one in the art can perform calculations, much like the human brain. In most advanced electronic equipment, a computing device is required to process data and information. Microprocessors may perform most or all functions relative to processing data and information. Microprocessors have revolutionized technology allowing smaller devices to be manufactured.
Regularly, range sensors are used in a static position and can return accurate values based on observations. Often, range sensors may be used in moving objects. A sensor no longer observes accurate values when the sensor is in motion. For example, by rotating a range sensor fast enough, two different objects at two different distances can be observed as the same object changing its distance. In certain situations, an object can be observed to have a velocity larger than the speed of light, which is impossible. The sensor's own motion must be eliminated from the observation in order for an accurate value to be obtained. The movement of the sensor may be observed in addition to the object the sensor is observing.
Commonly, accelerometers are used to track an objects motion. An accelerometer is able to measure proper accelerations, or accelerations not produced by gravity. Examples of these are vibrations, shocks, rotations, or other changes of weight per unit mass. An accelerometer may be used to measure an objects movement. For example, movement of a cellular device may be measured by an accelerometer and may be used to wake the cellular device from its sleep mode.
Often, an individual may become distracted or preoccupied. This may also cause one's level of perception to lower. It is generally known that audio sounds such as music can distract an individual. When an individual uses headphones or a headset to listen to audio sounds they become distracted while additionally blocking all other sounds from entering their auditory system.
Generally, when an audio signal is interrupted unexpectedly, whether by removing that signal, replacing that signal with a warning signal, or otherwise interrupting that signal, an individual's sense of perception returns, if not heightens. An individual may notice this unexpected circumstance and question the reasoning behind the event. This may lead to an individual focusing on their sense of perception in order to determine the cause of the interruption. Once the cause of the interruption is determined or the threat that caused it has pass, the audio signal should return uninterrupted.
Commonly, real world signal processing of sounds or objects returns noisy signals. Noisy signals are defined as one signal that is made from multiple signals occurring simultaneously. An example of this is recording a sound sample from a busy intersection where multiple sounds from multiple locations are being recorded as one signal. Specific signals, such as a car horn, may become lost in the noise and require filtering to be recovered. A further example of this is detecting multiple objects with a range sensor. In order to focus on an individual object, the “noise” must be removed.
Generally, analog and digital signal processing may be used to distinguish or otherwise filter a single object from surrounding objects. Digital signal processing (DSP) includes subfields like audio, sonar, radar, ultrasonic, sensor array processing after these analog signals have been converted to digital. An example includes recognizing the audio signal of a car horn and removing it from all other signals. A further example includes separating multiple moving objects from each other in order to focus on an individual object.
A need, therefore, exists for an apparatus that allows one to listen to their audio device.
Further, a need exists for an apparatus that may be worn and may allow an individual to connect to an audio playing device such as a MP3 player, CD player, or other audio producing device.
Even further, a need exists for an apparatus that may be worn and may allow an individual to connect to an audio producing device such as speakers, headphones, or other audio producing device.
Also, a need exists for an apparatus that can otherwise perform the operation of perception when an individual's senses are blocked, limited, or otherwise hindered.
Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus that can interpret sound signals when an individual's sense of sound is blocked, limited, or otherwise hindered.
Specifically, a need exists for an apparatus that utilizes one or more microphones in order to obtain signals from the environment around an individual.
More specifically, a need exists for an apparatus that is capable of distinguishing the amplitudes of signals.
Further, a need exists for an apparatus with multiple sensitivity settings for use in day and night environments.
Moreover, a need exists for an apparatus that can interpret visual signals when an individual's sense of sight is blocked, limited, or otherwise hindered.
Specifically, a need exists for an apparatus that can detect motion of objects outside an individual's range of vision.
More specifically, a need exists for an apparatus that utilizes one or more range sensors in order to detect changes in the distance of objects.
Particularly, a need exists for an apparatus that is capable of digital signal processing in order to filter an individual signal from multiple real world signals.
More particularly, a need exists for an apparatus that can determine an object's velocity from those changes in distance.
In particular, a need exists for an apparatus that utilizes an accelerometer in order to distinguish its own movement from that of objects in the environment.
Further, a need exist for an apparatus that can perform logical calculations from real world signals.
Even further, a need exists for an apparatus that can compare calculated signals to pre-determined thresholds.
Specifically, a need exists for an apparatus that may obtain audio and range signals from one or more sensors, calculate the amplitude of these signals, calculate the distance of these signals, calculate the velocity of these signals, calculate the acceleration of these signals, compare calculated values to pre-determined thresholds, and warn a user when these thresholds are breached.
More specifically, a need exists for an apparatus that may warn a user by pausing or muting an audio signal, presenting a warning sound or message, or otherwise alert a user to unforeseen threats.
Even more specifically, a need exists for an apparatus that may return to normal functionality by un-pausing or un-muting an audio signal, terminating a warning sound or message, or otherwise conclude an alert when a threat has dissipated.
Finally, a need exists for an apparatus that may produce audio sound from electrical audio signals, permit audio sound during normal operation, detect audio levels in the environment, detect object motion in the environment, distinguish a threat from observed data, terminate audio sound upon detection of a threat, produce an audio warning, and restart audio sound after threat has been accessed.